The present invention relates to the prevention and removal of deposits such as scale, corrosion, paraffin and asphaltene that form within conduits and on the surfaces of equipment utilized in the transmission of fluid columns. The instant invention also provides for the separation of contaminants and other components that comprise a fluid column receptive to magnetic treatment.
It is common for contaminant deposits to accumulate within conduits and on equipment utilized in the transportation and transmission of fluids. For example, in oilfield pipelines a mixture of oil, water and minerals typically flow out of a well into apparatus utilized to separate marketable oil from water and other components of the fluid column. Paraffin, asphaltene and mineral scale deposits forming within conduits used to transport this fluid mixture restrict the flow of fluid within the pipeline. Further, such deposits and the congestion they create typically lead to the deterioration of pumps, valves, meters and other equipment utilized to propel and monitor the flow of fluid through a pipeline system. These types of deposits typically result in lost production and substantial expenditures for thermal, mechanical or chemical remediation to restore full flow capacity to a pipeline.
Many thermal exchange systems, such as cooling towers or boilers, utilize water as a heat transfer medium. Scale and corrosion deposits can restrict the flow of water and impede the efficient operation of pumps, valves and other equipment. Further, deposits on thermal exchange grids act as layers of insulation and inhibit the transfer of heat carried by the water. Periodic descaling of heat exchange equipment typically results in process downtime and substantial labor and remediation expenditures. Therefore, contaminant deposits result in restricted flow, lost efficiency and increased energy consumption in thermal exchange systems.
In closed-loop systems where water is continuously circulated to facilitate heat transfer from one area of a system to another, one common method of removing corrosion and scale deposits, along with controlling algae and bacterial growth, utilizes chemical treatment of the water. Over time, the build-up of chemicals, minerals and other contaminants within the water typically results in it being unfit for continued use. Further, chemical laden water typically requires additional treatment to make it suitable for discharge into the environment and usually incurs a substantial surcharge for its permitted release into a municipal wastewater disposal system. Chemical treatment of fluid columns is costly, requires the storage, handling and dispensing of dangerous chemicals and increasingly gives rise to growing environmental concerns directed to the quality of the water being discharged.
One alternative to chemical treatment is the utilization of magnetic field generators to introduce magnetic flux to a contaminated fluid column. Magnetic field generators are commonly divided into two distinct groups, permanent magnets and electromagnets. Each group utilizes magnetic energy to treat a fluid column. The density of the magnetic flux available in the fluid treatment area, which is typically the interior of a conduit through which a fluid flows, can be measured and is typically expressed in Gauss Oersted units. Commonly referred to as “gauss”, this unit of measurement is useful in the comparison of magnetic fluid treatment devices. While the use of magnets has proven to provide positive benefits in the treatment of certain fluid columns, prior art magnetic field generators are challenged by a number of deficiencies.
Permanent magnets typically generate magnetic flux via a fixed array of rare earth magnets proximate the flow path of a fluid through a segment of conduit. Even though many types of permanent magnets have the capacity to generate large amounts of magnetic energy near their surface, the strength of their magnetic fields is fixed and cannot be adjusted. Further, when using a gauss meter to measure the magnetic energy of a permanent magnet, the strength of the magnetic energy tends to rapidly diminish as the probe of the gauss meter moves away from its surface. Therefore, effective magnetic treatment can best be realized by passing a fluid as close to the surface of a permanent magnet as possible.
The flow rate of a fluid as it passes through the fixed strength of a permanent magnet is a primary factor in determining the effectiveness of the treatment provided by such a device. Effective treatment of a contaminated fluid column may occur when the flow rate of a fluid is matched to a specific sized array of fixed magnets. If the velocity of a feedstock through a permanent magnet varies from the required flow rate, or the fluid passes too far from the surface of a permanent magnet, desired treatment of a fluid column may not occur. Thus, when the velocity of a fluid is not matched to a fixed ratio of conduit size to the length of a fixed magnetic field strength required to provide the conduction coefficients necessary for effective treatment, use of permanent magnets may result in lost efficiency or a total lack of magnetic fluid treatment.
Electromagnets may be formed by electrically charging a coil of an electrical conducting material, such as a length of metal wire. Coiling an electrically charged wire allows the magnetic field that radiates from the circumference of the wire to concentrate within the center of the coil of wire. Wrapping a strand of electrical conductor, such as a length of copper wire, around a conduit, such as segment of pipe, and connecting the ends of the electrical conductor to power supply is a common method of making an electromagnet. A basic principal of electromagnetic field generation states the strength of the magnetic field is determined by multiplying the number of turns of a coil of wire by the electrical current, or amperage, flowing through to the coil. This calculation of amperage and wire turns is commonly referred to as amp-turns, with the gauss provided by a simple electromagnet typically being proportional to its amp-turns. The magnetic field generated by an energized coil of wire may be strengthened by increasing the number of turns of wire, increasing the voltage supplied to the coil or increasing both the number of turns and the intensity of the electrical supply. The strength of the magnetic field generated by such a device may be increased or decreased by adjusting the voltage supplied to the coil of wire.
In addition to creating an electromagnetic field, this configuration of coiled electrically charged wire typically generates heat. Heat generation has been a major limitation in the development of the maximum electromagnetic field strength of prior art electromagnet devices. For example, heat generated by an electrically charged coil of wire increases the resistance within the coil of wire. This increased resistance results in a drop in the flow of current through the device and reduces the amp-turns, or gauss, of the electromagnet. Excessive heat generation typically leads to the failure of prior art electromagnet devices when heat retention within the coiled wire is sufficient to cause segments of the wire coil to melt and contact each other. The resulting short circuit reduces the efficiency of the device due to fewer amp-turns being in effect. Heat also causes the coil of wire to part and cause an open circuit so no magnetic field can be generated. The generation and retention of heat impedes the flow of current through the wire coil of prior art electromagnet devices and makes them less effective, or totally useless, in fluid treatment until the continuity in the entire electrical circuit is restored.
In some instances, a protective housing may be utilized to protect the coiled wire from cuts, abrasions or other damage. However, encasing a wire coil within a protective housing typically promotes the retention of heat generated by the energized coil. To disperse the heat from the coil, the protective housings of prior art devices are typically filled with mineral oil, graphite or other materials. Oil and other heat dispersing materials add significant weight to these prior art devices, making them difficult to handle and install. Further, the potential of oil or other heat dispersing materials leaking from the protective housings and causing damage to the environment, along with other maintenance issues, pose additional problems for end users.
Heat dissipation is critical to the overall efficiency and effectiveness of an electromagnetic filed generator. Heat generated by a wire coil contiguous with the outer surface of a conduit may radiate through the conduit and into a fluid flowing through it. Heat generated by the outer layer of a cluster of wire coiled around a conduit may dissipate into the atmosphere if the device is used in an open-air configuration or transferred through heat dispersing materials to the body of an enclosure and then into the atmosphere if it is encased within a protective housing. However, the inability of prior art devices to transfer and dissipate heat generated by their wire coils typically results in open circuits or short circuits. Thus, prior art devices are typically limited in the number of layers of coiled wire that may be utilized to produce an electromagnetic field generator due to the generation and retention of heat within a cluster of wire.